Bay Area Moving and Storage Company Offers Tips to Help You Prepare

The four months from May through August are considered the “peak moving season.” Oddly enough, the statistic is that nationwide, just over a third of moves happen during this one-third of the year. That being said, Spring has a lot going for it as a time to make the shift. It’s easier to house-hunt, pack, and lug when days are lengthening, but before temperatures soar. Moving companies may charge less before the heat hits. Long-distance moving, since it is especially taxing, is especially nice to get out of the way before summer. Families moving within their own school district may schedule moving day during their school’s spring break or the Memorial Day weekend, leaving the summer free. People who like to garden can get settled in time for a bit of spring planting in the new place. For renters, May is a shoulder season, with fewer units on the market and fewer prospective tenants looking to move. For homeowners, May is when home sales hit an annual spike; it’s a great time to buy.

Selecting a date for a move is a sensitive business, since on the one hand, you don’t want to overtax yourself, and on the other hand, a move can pretty much expand to fill the time available. Refer to our Moving Checklist to stay on top of the move, week by week. If you have time off, a deadline to meet, and ample energy to dedicate to the move, the checklist can be compressed into a shorter time. The quickest option of all is to hire residential movers, experts in packing and transporting your belongings.

Moving means culling the items you don’t want to bring along. If you have a little more time to spare and are short on funds, consider a garage sale. People like to hit the garage sales as the days get longer, and here in the Bay Area (for better and worse), there’s little worry about being rained out. A garage sale takes a bit of planning on its own, but can end up being less disruptive overall than trying to sell items piecemeal through classified ads. To make your sale successful:

• As you pack boxes, set the items to sell aside, ideally in a designated closet or room.
• Buy tags or stickers early on and price as you go.
• Make a list of the most attractive items so you can name them in your classified ad.
• Schedule your sale to avoid major events in your area that may draw a large number of people away.
• Have bags and newspaper or bubble wrap on hand to send sold items home in.
• Make trestle tables or borrow card tables to display items on.
• Post your sale on bulletin boards at cafés, laundromats, and supermarkets, wherever you can.
• A couple of weeks ahead of your sale date, contact newspapers and online classifieds to find out how to advertise with them; aim to have your notice appear the weekend before you’ll be selling and stay up until the end of the sale day.
• Get signboard, markers, and tape or a staple-gun, and put your signs up a day or two ahead. Do what you can to make your sale visible, using balloons and a sandwich board or a large sign attached to a chair on the sidewalk.

The Best Moving Company in the Bay Area at Your Service!

Whether you’re headed overseas or making a local Bay Area move,  you can rely on Movers N’ Shakers for our experienced, professional assistance with moving and packing.  Call us today at (877) 797-4253 or fill out our online form for a fast and free movers quote!